The VINTAGE toolboxes of Garage Journal!

[Tynee]

First time poster
Im hoping this cabinet classes as a "tool box", it housed tools prior to my ownership and it houses my tools now.

Not sure on who made it but when i seen it in a closing maintenance shop i knew i had to have it, its missing a couple of draws (one had been removed and riveted to the top), it had been in the shop for 30+ years.

Cheers

Welcome to the GJ. I like that cabinet. It’s got character.

 

[Outlawmws]

That.s a cool old chest Southy! I love shallow drawers like that!

Have you thought about making some wood or metal drawers for the top bins?

Is the top panel a drawer?

what are the dimensions?

 

[drivesitfar]

Southy: is there a brand name or any logo or imprint on your COOL metal cabinet?

welcome to GJ and you can also take a post a lot more pictures of it in the metal cabinets thread if you want to see some others that are similar and here's the link:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=305350&highlight=metal+cabinets

Just an FYI i can't recall another cabinet on that thread that is like yours so good find. i think originally it might have been made for drawings or plans or for the printing industry, but a tool box sounds like a great re purpose.

WELCOME TO GJ and looks like you will fit right in!!

 

[Private Lugnutz]

...one had been removed and riveted to the top...

Probably so stuff didn't roll off. I would leave it if it was mine, not only because it's functional, but because it's part of that cabinet's history and story.

I try not to overuse the adjective "awesome," but that thing is awesome. Looking forward to seeing more pics on Drives's cabinets thread.

 

[southy]

Thanks for the kind words and warm welcome!
Sorry about posting here i would have posted this in the cabinet thread if i had seen it earlier. I will update pictures in that thread once i give it some love.

That.s a cool old chest Southy! I love shallow drawers like that!

Have you thought about making some wood or metal drawers for the top bins?

Is the top panel a drawer?

what are the dimensions?

Some small metal bins are on the cards, i think it would fill the spaces in nicely, the top panel was originally a drawer, i have removed it and refitted it but it is unfortunately missing the handles..

Dimensions are estimates as i work away but H:1200mm W:750 D:400mm and weighs ALOT!

Southy: is there a brand name or any logo or imprint on your COOL metal cabinet?

welcome to GJ and you can also take a post a lot more pictures of it in the metal cabinets thread if you want to see some others that are similar and here's the link:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=305350&highlight=metal+cabinets

Just an FYI i can't recall another cabinet on that thread that is like yours so good find. i think originally it might have been made for drawings or plans or for the printing industry, but a tool box sounds like a great re purpose.

WELCOME TO GJ and looks like you will fit right in!!

There is no markings or manufacturer identification on the cabinet as far as i can see. it has been painted that poo brown colour in the past though

Cheers!

 

[Outlawmws]

So roughly 48 X 30 X 16 inches - Good size; seems wider in the pic.

 

[beatcad]

First time poster
Im hoping this cabinet classes as a "tool box", it housed tools prior to my ownership and it houses my tools now.

Not sure on who made it but when i seen it in a closing maintenance shop i knew i had to have it, its missing a couple of draws (one had been removed and riveted to the top), it had been in the shop for 30+ years.

Cheers

wow! that is a cool unit you got there.
i can say i've never seen anything like it before, but if i had to guess what it is i'd say it was for drafting or printing.
yes, i did a little of both when i was young.

it could be for anything, but it wasnt a "toolbox"
as in a vessel for storing tools.
heavy stuff like wrenches or ratchets/sockets..no way.
light machinist stuff like mics and dividers...maybe, but i kinda dought it.

the drawer handles and the label holders make me think of stuff from the 60s and 70s.

still, thats a cool piece you got there.

 

[drivesitfar]

Southy: i'm guessing you are from somewhere other than the UNITED STATES since your go to dimensions is in metric so would you mind going in your GJ profile and putting in your location or Country?

also while you are in there if you want to click on AVATAR you can download one of your favorite pictures that will show up like my Bison made out of scraps and old tools. you can change the picture too if you like a better one later.

you certainly were OK posting your metal cabinet that you use as a toolbox here on this thread and i mentioned the other one cause i also use old blueprint or flat files for my tools and we've posted a few over on the other thread. my flat file drawers might have 300 or more pounds of tools in some of them so while Beatcad thinks they won't hold much i bet he needs to buy a few and see for himself.

thanks again for posting up the pictures cause it is UNIQUE.

 

[Outlawmws]

Southy, are those slides friction or roller? I'd guess roller if they stored paper goods in those drawers.

 

[andgott]

I picked up this older Waterloo box at a garage sale a while back... Paid $6.00 for it-

It sat in the shop for a while- I just picked up a new (to me) Atlas metal lathe, and wanted a box to keep all the related tools in, so I finally got around to restoring this one-

Does it's job nicely, and it's a LOT more solid than anything new I could have bought unless I wanted to spend some big $$$$. It was dated 1973 inside.

 

[drivesitfar]

AG: nicely done. any chance you might want to tell some of us less handy members WTF you did to transform that POS into that great toolbox?

and i like that color so do tell what color and brand of paint if you don't mind.

thanks

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

KR300D ? Ever find them with the lamp?

Yep. I bought this one three years ago (seller's picture)

 

[tombell572]

Southy: i'm guessing you are from somewhere other than the UNITED STATES since your go to dimensions is in metric so would you mind going in your GJ profile and putting in your location or Country?

Could be, drives--like South Boston.

Tom B.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Nice lamp!

 

[andgott]

AG: nicely done. any chance you might want to tell some of us less handy members WTF you did to transform that POS into that great toolbox?

Thanks.

I took everything apart, removed the old paint in my blast cabinet. There were a few dents and dings here and there that I straightened out. Then, I primed it with 'rattle can' self etching primer, And repainted.

The handles on the front were in good shape, but the side handles were rusty. I also blasted them, then painted them with 'chrome' spray paint.

and i like that color so do tell what color and brand of paint if you don't mind.

The paint is Rustoleum Rosemary hammertone.

 

[00fxd]

Yep. I bought this one three years ago (seller's picture)

Nice one! Any closeups or detail pics of the lamp and head of lamp?

 

[LryFx1]

Hi all,

I was going though some my tool and equipment photos the other day and came across ones of my MATCO Linemaster toolbox set up. I guess it qualifies as "vintage" as it is from 1979. I have not seen the Linemaster set-up mentioned in this thread, so I thought I would post some photos. I bought it brand new, and still have it in use today. After 38 years of use it shows plenty of battle scars now, but everything is in good working order. I suppose at some point I could restore the paint and so on, but I have plenty of things to do that are more urgent.

Back in the day it was a good value compared to the big Snap Ons. All the largest Snap Ons of that era had a cabinet door on the back side, and that was not workable in my shop at the time ( or now for that matter ). I like my box against a wall, out of the way.

In a way MATCO was pretty much ahead of the curve in making long toolboxes with the Linemaster setup. The only real difference between this and the newer large roll cabinets, is that it is made up of existing cabinets side by side with a top piece and bottom platform to hold them together. Of course that means it has no large full length top drawer like the modern ones have. But I sorta like individual drawers for keeping things organized.

Here are some Brand New In The Box photos, and current ones.

 

[Outlawmws]

Nice setup!

I have a later version of that double roller, with 9 drawers each. 18 total. MB1220 from about ten years later. Mine has the roller slides, and as heavy as I load some of the drawers that's a good thing! Still haven't finished filling/organizing it. Got it over a year ago.

 

[MrGrnJeans]

I picked up this older Waterloo box at a garage sale a while back... Paid $6.00 for it-

It sat in the shop for a while- I just picked up a new (to me) Atlas metal lathe, and wanted a box to keep all the related tools in, so I finally got around to restoring this one-

Does it's job nicely, and it's a LOT more solid than anything new I could have bought unless I wanted to spend some big $$$$. It was dated 1973 inside.

andgott- very nice job on that box, looks better than new! What color did you paint it? Is it a textured paint and was it from a rattle can?

 

[MrGrnJeans]

Thanks.

I took everything apart, removed the old paint in my blast cabinet. There were a few dents and dings here and there that I straightened out. Then, I primed it with 'rattle can' self etching primer, And repainted.

The handles on the front were in good shape, but the side handles were rusty. I also blasted them, then painted them with 'chrome' spray paint.



The paint is Rustoleum Rosemary hammertone.

Whoops I should read all the replies to the thread before asking questions . You did a helluva nice job, this obviously is not the first one you have restored

 

[southy]

wow! that is a cool unit you got there.
i can say i've never seen anything like it before, but if i had to guess what it is i'd say it was for drafting or printing.
yes, i did a little of both when i was young.

it could be for anything, but it wasnt a "toolbox"
as in a vessel for storing tools.
heavy stuff like wrenches or ratchets/sockets..no way.
light machinist stuff like mics and dividers...maybe, but i kinda dought it.

the drawer handles and the label holders make me think of stuff from the 60s and 70s.

still, thats a cool piece you got there.

That is about all its got in it at the moment, it is definitely, heavy duty enough to carry some spanners etc, but i think id have better luck preserving it and keeping it in good condition if i continue to keep some smaller items and measuring equipment in it

Southy: i'm guessing you are from somewhere other than the UNITED STATES since your go to dimensions is in metric so would you mind going in your GJ profile and putting in your location or Country?

also while you are in there if you want to click on AVATAR you can download one of your favorite pictures that will show up like my Bison made out of scraps and old tools. you can change the picture too if you like a better one later.

you certainly were OK posting your metal cabinet that you use as a toolbox here on this thread and i mentioned the other one cause i also use old blueprint or flat files for my tools and we've posted a few over on the other thread. my flat file drawers might have 300 or more pounds of tools in some of them so while Beatcad thinks they won't hold much i bet he needs to buy a few and see for himself.

thanks again for posting up the pictures cause it is UNIQUE.

You are correct, i am from Australia, ill update info, Like you have mentioned i think most of the older cabinets are quiet capable of carrying way more then they were initially designed for!

Southy, are those slides friction or roller? I'd guess roller if they stored paper goods in those drawers.

Friction sliders mate.

 

[andgott]

Whoops I should read all the replies to the thread before asking questions . You did a helluva nice job, this obviously is not the first one you have restored

Thanks. I've done several tool boxes... I did them as practice before I painted my car!

 

[beatcad]

That is about all its got in it at the moment, it is definitely, heavy duty enough to carry some spanners etc, but i think id have better luck preserving it and keeping it in good condition if i continue to keep some smaller items and measuring equipment in it



You are correct, i am from Australia, ill update info, Like you have mentioned i think most of the older cabinets are quiet capable of carrying way more then they were initially designed for!



Friction sliders mate.

spanner. mate. i wouldve guess merry olde england, but i see you updated your location to down under.
AC/DC

yeah, i'm sure those drawers can support more weight, but they just look way to shallow for hand tools.

the label holders make me think of the dewey decimal system cabinets....damn! am i showing my age?

typically when drawers(wood or metal) have those label holders it's for paper/paperwork-prints/blueprints.

tool boxes going back at least 80 years dont have those label holders. mechanics or machinist. not even waterloo made hospital crash carts.
theyre may be some exceptons, but none that come to mind right now.

those open cubbies above the drawers remind me of old shop desks.

y'all know me, and i aint trying to be a know it all or a smart ***.
i'm just throwing out my amateur opinion.
i've been wrong before and i may be wrong in the future.
i'm also humble

 

[Provincial]

Interesting Military box. Looks '60's or later. It has covers over the compartments that fold out inside.

https://salem.craigslist.org/tls/d/vintage-simonsen-industries/6387136870.html

 

[AdrianBoomer]

[/IMG]

been looking for a rolling stack for 3 years and finally I found one within an hour of me. The woman I bought if from was in a desperate situation, her son recently died and she was a little crazy on drugs sadly. To my shock, she attempted to stripe the paint off the top box after I communicated I was interested in the box. It was also in the rain today when I finally found the time to come.

Anyhow, I paid $60, loaded it up and proceeded to put 2 hours of degunking and detailing to see what exactly I had. I am think that I will need to do a repaint, but I love mojo and patina. I am open to oppinions but sadly the original patina on the upper box is kinda ruined with a wash of strippers etc. I cleaned the outside, did a quick and dirt polish of the hardware jsut to breath new life into this and get a good vibe going.

I do not know how to remove the drawers. I need help on this!! Also don't believe its a matching set, but I love it, I would love to know the pedigree. The top box has the chicago stamp behind the badge.

 

[Oldtuleguy]

Nice box for 60 bones. Should clean up good.

 

[Outlawmws]

Pics of the slides needed for advise on drawer removal. Also, look behind the emblems inside the draws - its even money there will be stamped mfg info, possibly even a date.

 

[smschriefer]

Adrian, to remove the drawers I use a small 90 degree pick and place it in the hole in the slide about an inch before the slide hits the stop. Then I slide the drawer open the whole way and the slide pops free. I then repeat on the other side and continue to do all the drawers.

 

[AdrianBoomer]

Got the drawers out, thanks guys!! I did some late night exploratory deep cleaning. I am now on the fence about whether or not to remove the handles before painting. The PO put so much unidentified gunk into every little area that I was thinking I should remove them to do a proper sanding and then be able to also do a nice detail of the hardware. I can use my common sense, but are the rivets a standard head size as to make this fairly straight forward?

 

[tombell572]

I had posted pictures of my Beach box as a separate thread earlier but it should have been included here. At that time, lilredex had identified the box as a model B213 and both he and Outlander felt the approximate age was 70's-80's. It was a craigslist find in extremely clean condition.

My Brit bikes are stored both in my garage and my small barn. Serious restoration gets done in my basement shop where my Lyon roller and top box live but I do minor tune ups and maintenance in the other two buildings. I had been looking for a carry box for a while, having long outgrown my small Kennedy Kits box and preferring something with traditional drawer pulls and a front cover. The Beach should do the job well.

Any input as to location of a date code or general comments on Beach products would be appreciated.

Tom B.

 

[Rileysan]

Got the drawers out, thanks guys!! I did some late night exploratory deep cleaning. I am now on the fence about whether or not to remove the handles before painting. The PO put so much unidentified gunk into every little area that I was thinking I should remove them to do a proper sanding and then be able to also do a nice detail of the hardware. I can use my common sense, but are the rivets a standard head size as to make this fairly straight forward?

I've dealt with the same problem on one of my Heritage boxes. I used standard rivets, but when I get the time, I'm going to use small screws with chrome acorn nuts on the outside. I saw a box that another member here used those on and it looked fantastic.

Brian

 

[banjopete]

Well apparently the vintage toolbox thread is where my humble box is supposed to go...

Not good enough for the brand new snap-on set anyways I found a classic kijiji (our CL) ad an old-timer had posted, one crappy picture, the ad description said "large max toolbox" nothing more. I followup up sure enough it was a Mac box, so it's mine now. really thrilled with it.

 

[twertsy]

Well apparently the vintage toolbox thread is where my humble box is supposed to go...

Not good enough for the brand new snap-on set anyways I found a classic kijiji (our CL) ad an old-timer had posted, one crappy picture, the ad description said "large max toolbox" nothing more. I followup up sure enough it was a Mac box, so it's mine now. really thrilled with it.

That's a cool stack.

Sent from my VS990 using Tapatalk

 

[Outlawmws]

I like that box; the shallow drawers are far more efficient for most tools I wonder if one of the medium depth drawers could be swapped with two shallows for sockets? the other way is use those deeper side box drawers for sockets... Less bending!

I've got a 18 drawer 80's double wide MAC. its great other than the sockets are in a mid height drawer... I theoretically could swap positions, but the lock bar wont work without mods...

I would still like to get a Montezuma slant front top box However. I think that's the most effective box going for 98% of tool use...

 

[Private Lugnutz]

As first reported in the Garage Sale thread, I picked up this DUNLAP box (on top) this morning.

View media item 77054
...but I'm having trouble identifying it.

The holder inside kinda sorta reminds me of something you'd see inside a 1/4" power drill box. But there's usually a succession of holes in a horizontal tray for bits. And they're usually a higher gauge steel than this, which is pretty flimsy, and too flimsy for anything heavy I would think.

See that V-shaped holder on the left? I feel like that's a clue, but it's not ringing any bells for me.

The thing on the lid obviously keeps something in place in that holder in the main compartment when the lid is closed. And whatever it is goes from one diameter to another. Hate to say it, for something like a thermos or shaped like a thermos with a wider body and a narrower neck. (And don't laugh, but I was actually thinking lunchbox this thing is so tinny. Even the clasps are lunchbox-y!) But it's gotta be for some kind of tool.

I'm probably going to smack myself on the forehead on this one.

Taking answers, guesses, ideas, etc.

 

[Outlawmws]

Pretty sure that one is for a drill Lugz.

 

[Outlawmws]

Something like the one on the right?

 

[smschriefer]

Outlaw for the win!

It is for a drill. You can find it on page 37 of the 1952 power tools catalog. See link below.

http://www.blackburntools.com/artic...ves/sears/pdfs/sears-craftsman-1952-power.pdf

 

[Private Lugnutz]

Thanks, Outlaw and Steve. That was my first thought. I guess I was just trying to talk myself out of it based on the flimsyness.

 

[thehorse13]

Got the drawers out, thanks guys!! I did some late night exploratory deep cleaning. I am now on the fence about whether or not to remove the handles before painting. The PO put so much unidentified gunk into every little area that I was thinking I should remove them to do a proper sanding and then be able to also do a nice detail of the hardware. I can use my common sense, but are the rivets a standard head size as to make this fairly straight forward?

I would consider acorn nuts instead of pop rivets. They look period and they are much easier to deal with.

I have almost the same stack. Given the looks of it now, I would strip it down to bare metal and start over. Hammered gray paint looks fantastic on these old Craftsman boxes.